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Ukuzalwa KukaJesu
1 Ngalezonsuku uKhesari Agastasi wakhupha isimemezelo sokuthi abantu babalwe kulolonke ilizwe lombuso wamaRoma. 2 (Lokhu kwakuyikubalwa kwabantu kokuqala okwenzakala uKhwirinu engumbusi wase-Asiriya.) 3 Wonke umuntu waya edolobheni lakibo wayabhalisa.
4 UJosefa laye wahamba esuka edolobheni leNazaretha eseGalile waya eJudiya, eBhethilehema idolobho likaDavida, ngoba wayengowendlu losendo lukaDavida. 5 Waya khona ukuyabhalisa eloMariya, owayesethembise ukwendela kuye, esekhulelwe. 6 Bathi bekhonale safika isikhathi sokubelethwa komntwana, 7 wazibula ngendodana. Wayigoqela ngamalembu, wayilalisa emkolweni wokudlela izifuyo ngoba babengelandawo endlini yezihambi.
Abelusi Lezingilosi
8 Kwakulabelusi ababehlala emlageni eduze kwalapho, belinda imihlambi yabo yezimvu ebusuku. 9 Ingilosi yeNkosi yabonakala kubo, inkazimulo yeNkosi yakhanya ibazingelezile, ngakho besaba kakhulu. 10 Kodwa ingilosi yathi kubo, “Lingesabi. Ngizolitshela izindaba ezinhle ezizaletha intokozo enkulu ebantwini bonke. 11 Lamuhla lizalelwe uMsindisi emzini kaDavida; unguKhristu iNkosi. 12 Lokhu kuzakuba yisibonakaliso kini: Lizathola umntwana egoqelwe ngamalembu elele emkolweni.”
13 Masinyane kwaqhamuka ixuku lebandla lasezulwini lengilosi lidumisa uNkulunkulu lisithi,
14 “Udumo kuNkulunkulu emazulwini aphezulu,
lokuthula emhlabeni kulabo abathole umusa kuye.”
15 Kwathi izingilosi sezibatshiyile zabuyela ezulwini, abelusi bakhulumisana bathi, “Kasihambeni siye eBhethilehema siyobona into le esiyenzakele, iNkosi esisitshele ngayo.”
16 Bahle basuka ngokuphangisa, bafica uMariya loJosefa losane olwalulele emkolweni wokudlela izifuyo. 17 Bathi sebembonile umntwana, batshela abanengi ngalokho ababekutshelwe mayelana lomntwana lo, 18 kwathi bonke abalizwayo bamangaliswa yilokho abakuzwa ngabelusi. 19 Kodwa uMariya wazenza igugu zonke lezizinto wazishicilela enhliziyweni yakhe. 20 Abelusi babuyela, bedumisa njalo bebabaza uNkulunkulu ngezinto zonke ababezizwile njalo bazibona, zaba yikho kanye ababekutsheliwe.
21 Ngosuku lwesificaminwembili, sekuyisikhathi sokuthi asokwe, wethiwa ibizo elithi nguJesu, ibizo ayelithiwe yingilosi engakabunjwa esiswini.
UJesu Uyethulwa EThempelini
22 Kwathi lapho sesiphelile isikhathi sabo sokuhlanjululwa ngokomthetho kaMosi, uJosefa loMariya bamusa eJerusalema ukuyamnikela eNkosini 23 (njengokulotshiweyo eMthethweni weNkosi ukuthi, “Lonke izibulo lesilisa kumele linikelwe eNkosini”* 2.23 U-Eksodasi 13.2, 12), 24 njalo kwenziwe umhlatshelo kulandelwa lokho okutshiwo nguMthetho weNkosi othi: “amajuba amabili loba inkwilimba ezisesezincane ezimbili.”† 2.24 ULevi 12.8
25 Kwakukhona eJerusalema indoda eyayithiwa nguSimiyoni, yayilungile njalo ikholwa. Yayilindele ukududuzwa kuka-Israyeli, njalo uMoya oNgcwele wawuphezu kwayo. 26 Kwakwambuliwe kuye nguMoya oNgcwele ukuthi wayengayikufa engakaboni uKhristu weNkosi. 27 Waholwa nguMoya wangena emagumeni ethempeli. Kwathi abazali sebemlethile umntwana uJesu ukumenzela lokho okwakufunwa ngumkhuba woMthetho, 28 uSimiyoni wamgona ngezingalo zakhe wadumisa uNkulunkulu esithi:
29 “Thixo, Nkosi, njengoba wavele wathembisa,
manje-ke iyekele ihambe ngokuthula inceku yakho.
30 Ngoba amehlo ami aseyibonile insindiso yakho,
31 oyilungisileyo phambi kwezizwe zonke,
32 ukukhanya kokwambulela abeZizwe
lokwenkazimulo yabantu bakho bako-Israyeli.”
33 Oyise lonina womntwana bamangala kakhulu ngalokho okwakukhulunywa ngaye. 34 USimiyoni wasebabusisa, wathi kuMariya unina: “Umntwana lo umiselwe ukuwa lokuvuka kwabanengi ko-Israyeli, lokuba yisibonakaliso esizagconwa, 35 ukwenzela ukuthi imicabango yabanengi ivele obala. Njalo inkemba izawugwaza umphefumulo wakho lawe.”
36 Kwakukhona njalo umphrofethikazi, u-Ana, indodakazi kaFanuweli, owesizwana sika-Asheri. Wayesemdala kakhulu: wayephile lomkakhe okweminyaka eyisikhombisa ngemva kokwenda kwakhe, 37 wasesiba ngumfelokazi waze waba leminyaka engamatshumi ayisificaminwembili lane. Kazange lanini asuke ethempelini kodwa wayekhonza ubusuku lemini, ezila njalo ekhuleka. 38 Wabuya kubo ngalesosikhathi wabonga kuNkulunkulu, wakhuluma ngomntwana kubo bonke ababelindele ukuhlengwa kweJerusalema.
39 Kwathi lapho uJosefa loMariya sebekwenzile konke okwakufuneka ngoMthetho weNkosi babuyela eGalile, edolobheni lakibo elaseNazaretha. 40 Umntwana wakhula, waqina; wagcwala inhlakanipho, njalo umusa kaNkulunkulu waba phezu kwakhe.
Umfana UJesu EseThempelini
41 Iminyaka yonke abazali bakhe baya eJerusalema belanda uMkhosi wePhasika. 42 Kwathi eseleminyaka elitshumi lambili baya emkhosini njengenjayelo. 43 Kwathi uMkhosi usuphelile, abazali bakhe sebebuyela ekhaya, umfana uJesu wasala eJerusalema, kodwa bona belibele. 44 Bazihambela ilanga lonke bona becabanga ukuthi ukhona edwendweni lwabo. Basebeqalisa ukumdinga phakathi kwezihlobo zabo labangane. 45 Bathi sebemswele babuyela eJerusalema bayamdinga. 46 Ngemva kwensuku ezintathu bamfumana emagumeni ethempeli ehlezi phakathi kwabafundisi elalele njalo ebabuza imibuzo. 47 Wonke umuntu owamuzwayo wamangala ngokuzwisisa kwakhe kanye lempendulo zakhe. 48 Abazali bakhe bathi bembona bamangala kakhulu. Unina wathi kuye, “Ndodana, kungani usinqinekisa kangaka? Uyihlo lami besesikhathazekile sikudinga.”
49 Yena wabuza wathi, “Belivele lingidingelani kanti? Belingazi yini ukuthi bekumele ngibe sendlini kaBaba?” 50 Kodwa kabazwisisanga lokho ayekutsho kubo.
51 Wasehamba labo eNazaretha wahlala ebalalela. Kodwa unina wazenza igugu zonke lezi izinto enhliziyweni yakhe. 52 UJesu wakhula ngenhlakanipho, langomzimba langokuthandwa nguNkulunkulu labantu.